


Not the Damsel

by stranger_thanfiction



Series: Stranger Things 30 Day Challenge [10]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Nancy centric, Period Typical Misogyny, i relate to nancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 08:36:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19971148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stranger_thanfiction/pseuds/stranger_thanfiction
Summary: Nancy Wheeler has wanted to write her entire life.As a child, she and Barb would make up stories as they ran through the neighborhood. The trees transformed themselves into the tallest towers that held the prettiest princesses and flower crowns were as beautiful as the finest jewels from the oldest royals.Nancy was always the hero in her own story.





	Not the Damsel

**Author's Note:**

> Today's prompt is from @hey-dingus 's 30 Day ST Challenge, Most Relateable Character, which for me is Ms. Nancy Wheeler. Nancy is persuing a job in writing, which is my end goal after college, but unlike me she's facing gender discrimination and harrassment that forced many women out of possibly long, successful careers. Also, she's a writer, like me, which makes us kindred spirits in a way. 
> 
> (This is really rushed and unedited, so expect a better version coming soon. In the meantime, enjoy!)

Nancy Wheeler has wanted to write her entire life.

As a child, she and Barb would make up stories as they ran through the neighborhood. The trees transformed themselves into the tallest towers that held the prettiest princesses and flower crowns were as beautiful as the finest jewels from the oldest royals. 

Nancy was always the hero in her own story. Barb didn’t mind, always wanting to be the princess, and Knight Nancy would fight off the largest of pricker bush dragons to save Princess Barbara. 

As a child, Nancy was told by her teachers that she had an overactive imagination. She would get in trouble for creating magnificent stories of wonder in her head and end up missing entire lessons.

After a stern talk with her mom and dad, Nancy learned that it was best to save story time for recess.

When Mike was little, she would sit him down on the couch and make up stories to keep him entertained when their mom was in the kitchen. He’d sit, brown eyes sparkling with amazement as she regaled him with tales of dragons and knights, magicians and mystery, all the while flailing her little limbs across the living room. 

Little did Nancy know that they’d both be fighting actual monsters when they grew up. 

Nancy has always fought her own battles. She’s never needed someone like Steve, angry and short fused like herself, but someone like Jonathan, a calming presence in the midst of the chaos that is their lives.

He’s not her savior, but he’s like her sidekick or partner. Jon never treats her as if she’s second best but as an equal. In a fight, she’s the one who can actually fire a gun, and he’s got the speed she doesn’t have.

Nancy loves him, but right now, she wants to kill him. 

He doesn’t understand. He’ll never understand. 

Nancy’s always been tough, no matter how often she hears everyone in school whisper that she’s a stuck up priss. She was never afraid to fight or get dirty like her other friends; she nearly threw Carol into the lockers freshman year when she made a comment about the fit of Barb’s jeans.

Nancy Wheeler was a lady, so she didn’t. Now that Barb’s been gone for almost two years, she wishes did.

Most of the time Nancy misses her so much her chest threatens to collapse into its cavity and bring her entire being down with it. 

Even so, she’s Nancy Wheeler and she’s tough, so she can handle anything.

Right?

The jeers and the jests and the Nancy Drew jokes begin to pile up in her mind; she thinks this may do it. 

She’s Nancy, a recent high school graduate and general sweetheart, and currently, a glorified food delivery service. She’s smart and capable, and one day she’ll get there. 

She wants to write, so she smiles through the pain of losing her best friend, akin to missing a limb. 

She wants to write, so she smiles through the men’s insults, and punches her purse in the passenger seat of Jonathan’s car on the way home.

Nancy wants to write, so she chases the story and drags Jonathan along with her, trusting her gut that it’s a scoop. 

They come up with nothing, and Tom ends up firing them. On the way home, she and Jonathan get into an argument. Nancy doesn’t really know where they stand now, but it’s more on the rough side of things.

She’s defeated. 

She’s humiliated.

Nancy goes to talk with her mom, and for the first time, she realizes that Karen Wheeler is where she is now because everyone told her to quit. 

Nancy’s not going to quit--there’s too much on the line if she does.

She’s going to write her own story. 

She’s going to be the hero.

She goes to see Mrs. Driscoll, and when the woman decides to go mental, it clicks.

Holy shit. 

She’s right.

Holy shit.

She needs Jonathan. And her gun.

Holy shit. 

Jon is clearly mad at her, and they will definitely talk about this later, but right now she’s frantically trying to explain that Mrs. Driscoll’s attack looked like Will’s in the winter, so there’s more pressing things at hand. 

He picks her up at the hospital and they rush home.

Jonathan and Nancy catch up with the kids, who connect the dots of the missing supplies and Mrs. Driscoll even further when they share that it’s all centered around Billy. 

Billy Hargrove, the ass that dethroned Steve then beat him senseless for trying to protect the kids.

Steve’s words from the winter echo in her mind.

“I may have been a shit boyfriend, but I’m a damn good babysitter.”

Nancy shakes her head, clearing her throat and suggesting that she go back to the hospital to see if Driscoll is any better.

They all end up at the hospital together. 

The lady from the front desk is observant as hell, and only she and Jonathan are allowed to go back.

The pair take one last look at the kids and walk down the hallway together. 

They’ll be fine right?

Tom shows up, and she’s definitely not all right.

There’s something mildly poetic about smashing the skull of the man who humiliated and fired you with a fire hydrant. 

He’s not down. His body liquifies, and his mass is used to create a monster.

Holy shit. 

She finds Jonathan and they nearly bite it, but thank God El is there and is able to fight it off. 

They escape with the kids huddled in the back of the station wagon to Hopper’s cabin, and everyone gets a chance to breathe as they come up with their next plan.

Mike is loudly whining about the girls “conspiring against him,” so Nancy figures it’s a good time to pull away Jonathan to talk. 

“Uh, Jon, can we talk for just a sec,” she starts, shifting back and forth on her feet and her hands twisting themselves in and out of knots. 

He nods and crosses his arms across his chest, waiting for her to continue.

“I’m sorry about what I said about the job.”

His eyebrows jump into his hairline, but he stays silent.

“I’m also sorry that I wasn’t listening to you. This job was perfect for you, and I put that in jeopardy for my ego.”

She looks down at her shoes, and is shocked when Jonathan lightly tilts her face up to be level with his. 

“You’re right, it was perfect, but there’s jobs out there. There’s only one Nancy Wheeler,” he says softly.

“And besides, I’m sorry I wasn’t listening to your complaints, Nance. They were real and valid and I was a shit boyfriend by brushing them off as being a part of the job.”

She opens her mouth, but Jonathan cuts her off.

“And it’s not a part of the job. They should know better. Those guys treated you like shit, and you don’t deserve that.”

Nancy smiles and leans forward to gently kiss him.

“One day,” she says, forehead against his, “when I’m running things, I’ll make it different, I’ll make them better.”

Jonathan smiles and kisses her back.

“That’s my girl,” he grins, tucking a loose hair behind her ear and holding her by the waist, “and hopefully, I’ll be right be your side, if you’ll have me?”

The question has big, big ramifications, but before Nancy can respond, the door slams open. 

“Please stop making out and come help us,” Will begs, “Mike and Max are fighting over El, again, and we need to come up with a plan.” 

He exits as quickly as he entered, and the couple look at each other before one last kiss.

As they walk out the door, Nancy catches Jonathan’s elbow.

“We’re definitely going to talk about that later,” she whispers, kissing his nose before returning to the loud living room.

They eventually come up with a plan (after her baby brother’s first love confession?) and El goes in the task of getting into Billy’s head.

Nancy knows this can’t be good, so she grabs the gun just in case.

El may be the hero, Nancy thinks as she cocks it and checks the bullets, but Nancy’s going to keep writing her story. 

She won’t be the damsel. 

Not this time. 


End file.
